Visakhapatnam: Works on the three-level flyover at NAD Junction has gained momentum with the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (Vuda) inviting tenders for the much-hyped project.The flyover project was proposed in 2015 as a long-term measure to ease the ever-growing traffic at this busy junction. Vuda officials said that the grade separator shall be designed in such a way that there are no traffic jams at the junction and vehicles can move fast during emergencies. It is estimated that the Passenger Car Units (PCU) at the junction has almost reached 10,000.Dr V Chandraiah, Vuda chief engineer, said that they will hold a pre-bid meeting on July 21. We have invited the bids under EPC mode," he said. A flyover at NAD Junction has been the long-pending demand of commuters since the junction leads to many important areas including the city airport.With the traffic coming to a standstill on a daily basis, particularly during peak hours, it takes many green signals for motorists to cross the stretch.

IMD predicts heavy rain for coastal AP
Kurupam in Vizianagaram received 43mm of rainfall. Visakhapatnam: Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places in coastal AP in the next two days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday.The state government has directed district collectors to alert people and take preventive measures in order to avoid any untoward incident.According to the IMD bulletin, a trough has formed stretching across north Chhattisgarh to south Tamil Nadu across coastal AP and Rayalaseema. This apart, an upper air cyclonic circulation over north Bay of Bengal is also hovering up to 7.6 km above mean sea level tilting south-westwards.Meanwhile, AP State Developing Planning Society said many parts of the state received light to moderate rainfall. Nivagam village of Kothuru mandal in Srikakulam district received the highest rainfall of 53.25mm followed by Palasa with 44.5mm in the district.

Visakhapatnam: Human resource development minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao said "We have been entering into a series of agreements with various international universities to make Andhra Pradesh an education hub." On Thursday, Andhra University inked an MoU with Guizhou University of China to collaborate in academic programmes, research activities, faculty exchange, among other projects.
Speaking on this occasion, Srinivasa Rao said that as part of the MoU, students who go to the Guizhou University will get a fee concession of Rs 1.5 lakh. "Last year, we made an agreement with Ohio University. As part of the agreement, admissions for the AP students will begin from this year and students can choose to study at Guizhou University at the same fee paid by local students," he said.
HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao said that they formed a taskforce committee to improve educational standards in the state. "Other than the Tribal University and Central University, we have got the majority of the institutions promised as part of the bifurcation Act. We are taking all measures to improve the quality of education in the state," said Srinivasa Rao.
The Guizhou University delegation was led by Zhaq Shouying, professor Jiang Shan and Wang Zhaoyang were present at the programme. While Andhra University was represented by its vice chancellor professor G Nageswara Rao and the registrar, professor V Umamaheswara Rao.

Vizag childline number rings off the hook.
Visakhapatnam: A few days back, the nodal centre of Childline (toll-free helpline number 1098 for protection of children) in the city received a call from a bureaucrat's daughter. She sought help from Childline officials to stop her parents from forcing her to take up science. Consequently, officials intervened and the child was assured that she will be allowed to choose the subject of her choice.
From stopping child marriages to getting complaints against parents for forcing children to take up subjects they do not want to pursue, Childline, which is supported by the ministry of women and child welfare and the social work department of Andhra University, has been regularly getting such cases from children and at times from their relatives and neighbours.
The child welfare officials say that with increasing awareness, more number of cases are being reported these days. City coordinator of Childline A Mary Evangeline, said, "We get two to three calls daily. It sometimes goes up to five to six calls per day. In most of the cases, children themselves call rather than seeking help from someone else. A few years ago, we did not receive cases on a daily basis. Our officials are involved with rescuing, rehabilitation and producing the children before the child welfare committee."

Visakhapatnam: The district will soon have archery, cycling and rifle shooting academies, district sports development officer John Geliat said, adding that sports enthusiasts aged between 15 and 18 years will be trained in the academies.
Addressing the media here on Friday, Geliat said every academy will train 20 players. "Athletes coming from rural and Agency areas will be provided with boarding facilities," she said, adding that such facilities will be set up at Narsipatnam and Yelamanchili.
"Players who excel at the academies will be referred to state, national and international championships," Geliat said.
"The academies will inculcate sportsmanship among the youth in rural and Agency areas which lack proper sports related infrastructure," Geliat said.
She also said that district-level selections in cycling will be held at Aqua Sports Complex on Beach Road on Sunday, while selections for archery and rifle shooting will be held at Samskruthi Global School at Parawada on Monday.

RINL signs MoU with CCI for setting up cement plant.
Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and Cement Corporation of India (CCI), a PSU under Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Vishakhapatnam to set up 2 mtpa fly ash and blast furnace slag based cement plant in a Joint Venture in two phases of one million tonne capacity each, said a Steel Ministry release on Friday.
Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and Cement Corporation of India (CCI), a PSU under Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Vishakhapatnam to set up 2 mtpa fly ash and blast furnace slag based cement plant in a Joint Venture in two phases of one million tonne capacity each, said a Steel Ministry release on Friday.
RINL generates a large quantity of BF slag and fly ash, prime raw material for the cement plant.
The JV Project cost is approximately Rs 150 crore RINL is offering around 35 acres of land for the proposed plant in its premises. The project is proposed to be completed in 15 months from the date of placement of order.

ECoR cancels 12 trains in Orissa due to flash floods.
BHUBANESWAR: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) on Sunday cancelled at least 12 trains running on Titlagarh-Rayagada route due to flash floods triggered by heavy rains. A railway bridge between Theruvali and Sigpur stations on the route was washed away at about 11 am affecting railway services.
The Durg-Jagadalpur passenger, Raipur-Visakhapatnam passenger, Durg-Visakhapatnam passenger, Sambalpur-Koraput passenger, Sambalpur-Rayagada express, Rourkela-Koraput express, Durg-Jagdalpur express, Sambalpur-Nanded express and Bilaspur-Tirupati express have been cancelled from Sunday onwards.
The Jagdalpur-Howrah Samaleswari express, Visakhapatnam-LTT express, Nanded-Sambalpur express, Vijayawada-Rayagada passenger, Nizamuddin-Visakhapatnam Samata express and Raipur-Visakhapatnam passenger have been controlled en-route. At least five trains on the route were diverted on Sunday.
Howrah-Jagdalpur Samaleswari Express leaving Howrah on Sunday will be short terminated at Titlagarh and return to origin point on Monday. General Manager Umesh Singh directed restoration work on high priority. Senior officers have rushed to the site with men and materials. Work will start once the flood water recedes, he added. “Prompt response by Gangmen averted mishaps as a couple of goods train were scheduled to pass over the ‘Bridge 585’ between 10:45 am and 11:30 am. Principal Chief Engineer of Railways has directed local divisions to press all availabl